1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a power line communication apparatus capable of performing communication employing a power line as a transmission medium.
2. Background Art
Recently, there has been suggested a power line communication system capable of transmitting data by superposing a high-frequency signal on a power line carrying electric power such as commercial power. As such a type of a power line communication system, there is known a multi-carrier transmission communication apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving a multi-carrier communication signal (for example, see JP-A-2003-218831).
The power line communication apparatus such as a PLC (Power Line Communication) modem used in the power line communication system can be realized into various types such as an AC adapter type directly connected to an outlet of a power line, a single modem type having a function of a hub, a router, or the like, and an apparatus-integrated type integrated into a PC (Personal Computer) or the like. Accordingly, if a signal processor of the PLC modem is designed in accordance with a type of respective apparatus, design cost or manufacture cost may be increased that much.
An analog signal processor of the PLC modem has a problem in that when the analog signal processor is apart from a coupler which separates and couples a high frequency signal for the power line communication from and with the power line, noise may increase in the analog high frequency signal (communication signal of the power line), thereby deteriorating a communication performance. Meanwhile, it is preferable that the analog signal processor of the PLC modem and a network interface unit such as Ethernet (registered trademark) provided in the subsequent step of the PLC modem are apart from each other as much as possible.
For that reason, various units such as a power supply unit, a signal processor, and an interface unit are necessary to be arranged in consideration of various circumstances of the power line communication apparatus.